WM [73] The Price to Go Forward_The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage

WM [73] The Price to Go Forward

 Tanisha''s eyes fluttered open, heavy with exhaustion. The world around her blurred and shifted like a dream, but one detail was clear: she was cradled in Aurelius''s arms. The steady rhythm of his stride and the faint warmth radiating from him felt oddly reassuring, even as her surroundings swam in and out of focus.

 Through the haze, she caught glimpses of their path—a jaggedndscape of volcanic rock giving way to the towering shadows of adjacent mountains. The sulfuric heat of the region clung to the air, mixing with the magically induced cold from the chaotic ambient mana. Her mind struggled to piece together where they were, but the effort made her head spin.

 Aurelius’s eyes flickered down at her. “Looks like you''re awake,” he said, his voice calm but edged with concern. “Take it easy, don''t move. We''re close to the mountains now.”

 Tanisha tried to respond, her voice a thin whisper. “Right... Don’t worry about me. We can continue.”

 Her wordscked conviction or color, and her body betrayed her. As the swaying motion resumed, her vision wavered, and she slipped back into the swirling darkness.

 ***

 When Tanisha woke again, it was in the midst of pandemonium. Aurelius had set her down, and the ground beneath her was cold and unforgiving. Her surroundings blurred like a watercolor painting left in the rain. Bjorn’s massive form loomed nearby, his four heads snapping in all directions. Breath attacksshed out at the world around them one after the other. Meanwhile Fuyumi darted towards something in the distance before fading from sight.

 A monster was attacking, or was it? Tanisha’s perception faltered, the creature shifting in and out of focus, its grotesque form merging with the jagged rocks around them. Was it real, or was her mind conjuring horrors of its own? The sounds of battle took the form of roars, shrieks, and the sh of magic and they were all muffled as ifing from underwater.

 She tried to move, to help, but her limbs felt weighted down by chains of lead. The world tilted again, and the edges of her vision darkened. Someone, Aurelius perhaps, shouted something, but the words were lost to her.

 ***

 The days that followed continued to pass in fragments. Tanisha drifted in and out of consciousness, each awakening a disjointed snapshot of their journey. She caught pieces of conversations between Aurelius and Fuyumi, their voices low and tense. The bond with Bjorn though was a constant reassurance.

 “We should veer east. The terrain’s safer, but it’ll take longer.”

 “No, west. The caves there might be risky, but it’s a faster route. We are trying to catch up to someone with a days-long headstart.”

 Their words blended with the shadows at the edges of her awareness. Bjorn’s deep growl rumbled through her dreams, a warning that pulled her briefly back to reality. She saw him once, bloodied but standing firm, his form shielding her from something she couldn’t fullyprehend.

 At one point, Fuyumi leaned over her, “There, be sure to swallow all of it. One spoon at a time. Stay with us.”

 ***

 When she finally stirred again, the cool air of the mountains brushed against her fevered skin. The sulfuric heat of the volcanic region was gone, reced by a feeling of normalcy for the first time since they entered the Chaos Lands. They had made it, somehow.

 Through half-lidded eyes, Tanisha saw Aurelius crouched nearby, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Fuyumi was tending to a wound on Bjorn’s nk. For a brief moment, the world felt still, and Tanisha herself finally able to beat back the endless bouts with unconsciousness. Her vision cleared enough for her to take in the sights.

 They were in a crag high in the mountain overlooking the next leg of the journey. The sun was still rtively high but was blocked by the presence of a massive aurora. The colors painted the world and even from the distance they were at they could see the horizon twisting under the weight of the forming mana storm.

 “That isn’t good is it?” Tanisha asked.

 Everyone turned to her as she sat up. She felt the dizziness in the back of her mind but it was far more manageable.

 “You shouldy back down.” Fuyumi said.

 Tanisha took a breath. “I am fine with just this much. How long was I out for?”

 Aurelius and Fuyumi looked at eachother but it was Aurelius that spoke.

 “Your ident was three days ago,” Aurelius stated. “We were worried you wouldn’t survive but anytime we considered turning around you would grow more agitated. I think the fact you are a mage might have been a major reason you are still with us, well that and the potion you drank.”

 Tanisha absorbed his words, but her attention shifted as her gazended on Bjorn. She blinked in surprise. His once-green scales were shedding in patches, revealing a vibrant, golden-brown sheen beneath. Most of his body now glimmered with the near-lustrous hue, but beneath the transformation, she could feel the heavy weight of his guilt.

 She reached out instinctively, her movements soft but deliberate. Bjorn hesitated before lumbering closer, his heads low to the point they nearly dragged the floor. His nearest head stopped just in front of her, and she cupped his scaled face with both hands, squishing it gently.

 “I don’t want to see you moping around, young man,” she scolded, her voice warm but firm. “It wasn’t your fault. I saw what was happening and made the choice to act. If anything, I should’ve thought more about howing here might affect you after... what happened with maya.” Her voice softened, her gaze steady as she looked into each of his heads'' eyes in turn. “So no more long faces. Got it?”

 Bjorn’s other heads nodded, the movement almostical in its earnestness. Tanisha beamed, her smile wide and genuine. The hydra nuzzled her affectionately, his guilt lifted just enough for her to feel the bond between them strengthen. She patted the ground beside her, and Bjorn settled down, coiling protectively at her side. With Bjorn at ease, Tanisha’s attention shifted back to Aurelius and Fuyumi.

 As she moved, she noticed for the first time that she wasn’t wearing her usual clothing. She was in the all white floral dress thing Fuyumi wore. She wasn’t actually sure what it was called. Robe and sash maybe? Tanisha nced down at the delicate fabric, running her fingers over it briefly, but Fuyumi’s next words pulled her attention away.

 Fuyumi caught her confused expression and exined, “Your outfit was shredded. What you’re wearing is called a yukata. It was the best we had to keep youfortable. But more importantly we have another problem. Between us and the paths to Force Isles is that.” She pointed to the mana storm. “We will need to cross two hundred miles in a few days otherwise we will be in the middle of a Chaos Land shift. That storm is going to spread and remake this entire region.”

 “That has to be thergest storm I have ever seen.” Aurelius added absently.

 “It’s more urately called a mana hurricane,” Fuyumi rified as she sat down, a cup materializing in her hand with a practiced motion. “I’ve only ever heard stories about them. Thest one in this area was at least a thousand years ago. Back then, it was a cmity, this region was once the heart of Mu.”

 “Mu? Wait, so it was a mana storm that split the human kingdom into the Force Isles and Mesha?” Tanisha asked.

 “It was part of it. From what I hear it was already falling apart after the war with the wendigo.” Fuyumi continued. “But when your capital city suddenly bes a mountain range full of monsters it might have sped things along. The thing is, out of the four of us, only Aurelius would survive long inside a mana hurricane. The corruptive energies would tear out our cores for power.”

 Tanisha held her tongue about being sure Bjorn could likely survive now too. She was sure that following the pattern of how their powers worked soon she would also gain chaos magic or resistance too, if she hadn’t already. She would check her menus and core after they made a decision on what to do.

 “How long do we have to make it through, do you think?” Tanisha asked.

 “Three days at most. Although we will have to take a more dangerous direct route through the storm. In the middle monsters will be more active Especially as trees evolve into mana trees.”

 Aurelius nodded. “And not to mention pure magic crystals which will start to attract evenrger monsters.”

 “Pu-pure mana crystals?” Tanisha’s eyes widened to the point they threatened to pop out of her head. “You mean actual crystalized mana? Not the artificial kind, but natural pure mana crystals?”

 “Y-yeah.” Aurelius, startled by her reaction, stuttered. “Uh, that’s exactly what I meant.”

 “The Chaos Lands are where most of those are found, Tanisha,” Fuyumi added, her tone patient but slightly amused.

 Tanisha was in disbelief first the mana trees then the pure mana crystals. Both of them were national treasures prized for their rarity and in regards to the crystal, the power one could wield with it was immense. If someone had both they could make a staff or wand that would be a priceless artifact. She turned to Bjorn, switchingnguages so he would understand.

 “If we can, there are two materials we need to try and gather: mana tree wood and a pure mana crystal. With both, we could craft a staff worthy of legends.” She ced a reassuring hand on his nearest head. “When we stop next, let’s look through that manual the wand repairer left us, okay?”

 Bjorn let out a low rumble of agreement, his golden-brown scales catching the light of the distant storm. Despite the looming danger, Tanisha felt a flicker of hope. If they survived, they could emerge from the Chaos Lands stronger and with a treasure few dared to even dream of possessing.

 Fuyumi regarded Tanisha with a measured expression before speaking inly. “Whether or not we can make it depends on you, Tanisha. If you can’t keep up and have to be carried, the path will be too dangerous for all of us.” She raised a hand to halt Tanisha’s immediate protest. “Let me finish. You have very dense mana, and your aura is unusual but strong. Normally, a mage would undergo a mana baptism once their body reaches the level of mana density you’ve achieved. I don’t think you’ve undergone one, have you?”

 Tanisha frowned in confusion. “I’m sorry, but what exactly are you talking about?”

 “A mana baptism,” Fuyumi repeated, taking a sip of her drink. “It’s a meditative technique that cycles your core’s energy throughout your body. This process happens naturally over time for most mages, but if someone outpaces it, like you—you have to force it along manually.”

 “I’ve trained to channel power through my veins and meridians thanks to my work with maya,” Tanisha offered.

 “Ah,” Fuyumi nodded. “That exins the unusual flow of magic in your body. Tell me, when you learned that technique, was it tailored to your mixed power?”

 Tanisha paused before admitting, “No. It was originally designed for maya alone.”

 “As I suspected,” Fuyumi said. “Your power is a blend of mana and maya, an alloy. But alloys require specialized training to master. At your current rate, you’re stifling your magic’s potential. You need to open all the paths your power would take if the two energies were separate. Most mages never attempt this. That’s why arcanists who blend paths are so rare; most abandon one for the other.”

 “What happens if I continue the way I am now?” Tanisha asked.

 Fuyumi’s tone grew sharper. “Eventually, your other pathways will atrophy. Your alloy will be more like pure maya, and you’ll lose ess to your mana-based abilities. Spells, enchantments—anything requiring mana will be out of reach. Today, we need to begin the process of opening your mana gates with the baptism. Once we do that, you’ll gain the Mage Body.”

 Tanisha stiffened. She knew about the Mage Body. It made high-level mages frighteningly hard to kill. Fatal wounds to ordinary people became mere inconveniences to those with the Mage Body. It was why decapitation was the only surefire way to eliminate a mage. Still, she’d never heard of this mana baptism before.

 “Is this a Yuki n technique?” she asked warily. “Or something only taught to those nearing this level of power?”

 Fuyumi shrugged. “It’s neither exclusive normon knowledge. It depends on your training. You’ve been traveling with a demon, right? I doubt he would know anything about advanced mage techniques. For us, the Yuki, we don’t teach it until someone is ready. It’s not a shortcut to power, despite what some think. Without the proper mana density, the process is usually fatal. It’s why I’m asking you now, Tanisha. Do you want to do this?”

 “What happens if you don’t have enough mana density?” Tanisha asked.

 “The core can’t hold itself together,” Fuyumi said grimly. “It disperses, leaving the mage powerless, or more frequently dead.”

 Tanisha paled. The idea of her core, the very source of her magic, disintegrating inside her was terrifying.

 “That’s why I need you to decide.” Fuyumi leaned forward, her gaze was razor-sharp. “If you’re unsure, we turn back now. If you want to go forward, I’ll teach you—but you mustmitpletely. There’s no halfway.”

 Tanisha’s expression hardened. Sitting up straight, she met Fuyumi’s gaze without hesitation.

 “Teach me. I’ll move forward no matter what.” Tanisha said.@@novelbin@@

 “Then let’s not waste any more time.” Fuyumi studied her for a moment before nodding. “Aurelius, Bjorn you two are on guard duty. Once this process starts we can not stop until it is done.”

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WM [73] The Price to Go Forward